Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling By Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

[amazon_link id=”0717175537″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]‘Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling’ is written by Irish writer duo Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen and came about after a successful Facebook page.

Aisling is twenty-eight and she’s a complete … Aisling. She lives at home in Ballygobbard (or Ballygobackwards, as some gas tickets call it) with her parents and commutes to her good job at PensionsPlus in Dublin. Aisling goes out every Saturday night with her best friend Majella, who is a bit of a hames (she’s lost two phones already this year – Aisling has never lost a phone(. They love hoofing into the Coors Light if they’re ‘Out’, or the vodka and Diet Cokes if they re ‘Out Out’. Ais spends two nights a week at her boyfriend John’s. He’s from down home and was kiss number seventeen at her twenty-first. But Aisling wants more. She wants the ring on her finger. She wants the hen with the willy straws. She wants out of her parents’ house, although she’d miss Mammy turning on the electric blanket like clockwork and Daddy taking her car ‘out for a spin’ and bringing it back full of petrol. When a week in Tenerife with John doesn’t end with the expected engagement, Aisling calls a halt to things and soon she has surprised herself and everyone else by agreeing to move into a three-bed in Portobello with stylish Sadhbh from HR and her friend, the mysterious Elaine. Newly single and relocated to the big city, life is about to change utterly for this wonderful, strong, surprising and funny girl, who just happens to be a complete Aisling.

This book came out towards the end of last year and I was curious about it as it was getting a lot of hype on social media as well being nominated for the ‘Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year’ at the Irish book awards 2017 and once I started to read the book, I found it impossible to put down, as I’d found a kindred spirit in Aisling.

Aisling is a country girl working in the big city, she organised and likes everything to go to plan, her idea of a mad night out would be having a coffee before bed instead of tea. Having been with her boyfriend, John for seven years, she’s dying for him to propose to her, as everyone around her are announcing their engagements. Finding the last minute holiday to Tenerife, she’s convinced that he’ll propose and when he doesn’t, she calls everything off and decides to reevaluate her life and make some big decisions. Living the countryside for the city and make new friends and new experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It’s filled with wit,charm and is unexpectedly quite sad in parts as Aisling deals with some big changes in her life. The story is seen through Aisling’s narrative and this is very funny, she’s got a dry humour and is very frank about things in life which entertains all those around her. She’s a kind soul and like every other woman her age, wishes she was further on in her life.

The story flows at a nice pace with regular jokes and anecdotes that show the Irish really are the best country for dry humour and sarcasm. Another thing that was great about the story, is that Aisling was a relatable character, she wasn’t glamorous or high maintenance, she was down to earth with real first world problems and for me, really drew me into the story. It also made me realise that there’s an Aisling in all of us, as I pack pumps for the walk home after a night out!

A witty and warm hearted story about the problems of a small town girl, ‘Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling’ is a stunning coming of age story that will have you giggling throughout at all the dramatic scenarios.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0717175537″ target=”_blank” ]Oh My God What a Complete Aisling from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.